[JD1969]

Q. What do I need to run at the track?
A. On most cars that are slower than 13.99 all you need is a radiator overflow, and your battery needs to held down properly (if everthing is pretty much stock you will fine). However I would bring a helmet (M90 is the current standard but that will change at the end of the year). You will also need to have long pant (no shorts or and, no Sidewayz6.0 capris are not OK ) and at least a T-shirt, also no sandles. As you car gets faster the safety requirments get tougher, I suggest you pick up a current NHRA or IHRA rule book, they run about $10 or they are included if you join one these organizations. Other things to bring are maybe a cooler, a folding chair, lunch (track food usually sucks) and maybe some very basic hand tools.

Q. How should I do a burn out?
A. If you are on regular street radials, I suggest that you do not do a burnout. Drive around the water box and just spin the tires for a second, the goal is to clean them off, not smoke them or put heat into them. Regular street tires have a different compound rubber that does not get stickier when heated the way a racing tire does, street tires will become 'greasy'. Now if you have a drag radial or a slick then you can pull through the water as directed by the starter and proceed to do a burnout when he or she gives the OK. I like to get the tires smoking for a few seconds and then roll out of the water untill I just feel the tires grab, then let out of the gas. This next part might get mixed opinions but DO NOT DO A DRY HOP, dry hopping just peels off the layer of hot you just made, making your car less likley to hook.

Q. Does my reaction time affect my elapsed time?
A. No the clocks do not start untill your tires break the staging beams. However if you are bracket racing then reation time is very important, but I suggest going to test and tune a few times before trying your hand at bracket racing.

Q. How do I read the numbers on my time slip?
A. 1.The first number is your reaction time, it will look like .530 or some other number. Depending on the type of bulbs in the tree either a .500 or a .000 is a perfect light.
2. Next is the 60 foot time, this is a very important number as it reflects how well your cars tires stuck to the track, or "hooked" as the racers say. A good 60 foot for a car on regular tires is around a 2.0-2.1. If you are on a a sticky tire like a drag radial, look for a 1.78-1.99 (these are just rough estamates for fairly stock cars.
3. Next is the 330 foot time, this number get more important as your car gets faster, it tell you how the track is reacting beyond the starting line and what you cars suspension is doing after the launch.
4. 1/8 mile ET. One 1/4 mile track this is your half way point, this tells you how the car performed over the first half of the track, i.e. did it spin going into second, did you miss a shift etc.
5. 1/8 mile MPH. This will reflect how much power the car made on the first half of the track.
6. 1000 foot ET. This is the amount of time it took to go 1000 feet. this number can tell if the car is running out of gear or if you shift late or early.
7. 1/4 mile ET. This is number of truth. The better your car hooks and the more power it makes the lower this number will be.
8. 1/4 mile MPH. MPH is usually a good indicator of how much HP the car is making. This is a good number to use to tune your car as it is less affected by your 60 foot time.
When comparing these numbers, remember that you need to get several passes on the car in order to have a fair comparison.